Preschool Promise Assistant

MountainStar Family Relief Nursery•Prineville, OR

9d•$21•Onsite

About The Position

MountainStar Family Relief Nursery is recruiting a Preschool Promise Assistant Teacher to join their team in Prineville, Oregon for the upcoming school year. This position starts Monday, August 31, 2026. This is your chance to be a part of something bigger and help shape the future of this vibrant community. You believe that every child deserves the best start possible. You believe that parenting is hard even in the best circumstances. You care about children who have experienced trauma and want to work to support vulnerable families to succeed. You enjoy working with children in a trauma informed workplace and a therapeutic classroom environment. You are motivated to engage with families and offer resources so that families are supported in nurturing their child’s emotional, physical, and intellectual development. MountainStar Family Relief Nursery is a local non-profit that has been in Central Oregon for 20 plus years. We are a strength-based child abuse and neglect prevention program to support families with children ages 6 weeks through 5 years. We provide high quality trauma-informed care and services for children and families experiencing high stress. Services include a therapeutic classroom emphasizing social-emotional development, home visits, parenting classes and other full wrap around services. Our values are: 1. Caring – welcoming, trauma-informed, non-judgmental, family-focused, compassionate, honest, and fun. 2. Collaborative –engaged with clients, supporters, program partners, and communities. 3. Excellence – committed to quality programs, current research, continuous learning, and robust evaluation. 4. Inclusive – seek out and value diverse perspectives, understand and address systemic barriers equitably.

Requirements

Able to relate sensitively with families and young children living in high stress, potentially chaotic situations with ongoing stress and trauma. Demonstrates cultural competence and excellent communication skills.
Able to maintain personal/programmatic boundaries and confidentiality while providing high quality care, education, and other supportive services.
Able to: work independently and as a team member; prioritize and complete responsibilities; and be flexible as various situations arise.
Continuing professional growth in areas related to early childhood education, especially in the following areas: observing and assessing the development of young children; working with families experiencing poverty, trauma and/or social complexity; and cross-cultural and strengths-based communication.
Consistent attendance is essential for both the smooth operation of our programs as well as fostering a sense of stability for the children and families we serve.
May work outdoors intermittently with exposure to typical Oregon weather. There may be frequent interruptions, working alone, evening or weekend work, working long hours. Working in a close environment with active children.
Must be able to pick up and carry 40 pounds.
Must be able to bend, kneel and stand for long lengths of time.
Staff must be able to get up and down from playing on the floor with children.
Ability to pass a background check.
Valid driver’s license and reliable personal transportation.
Clean driving record to drive company vehicles and transport children.
Within 60 days of employment must be Pediatric CPR and First aid Certified, have a current food handlers’ card, and show proof of completing “Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect,” “Introduction to Child Care Health & Safety,” “Safe Sleep,” and “Prevention is Better than Treatment” courses as required by Oregon Office of Child Care
Step 8+ on Oregon Registry, OR Step 7.5 or lower (or CDA) with at least one year of preschool teaching experience required ORO account creation
High School Diploma or GED required.
To protect confidentiality at MtStar there is a standard procedure requiring at least a 2-year separation between being a program participant and serving as a staff member or volunteer within the organization.
All staff and volunteer roles are at the discretion of MountainStar.
All positions at MountainStar Family Relief Nursery are contingent upon the availability of funding.

Nice To Haves

AA/AS in Early Childhood Education or a related field preferred
Preschool classroom experience preferred.
Bilingual English/Spanish including reading, writing, and speaking effectively in both languages preferred.

Responsibilities

Assist Preschool Promise Lead in providing a high-quality early childhood education program
Assisting with Creative Curriculum, TS Gold and other assessments
Being present in the classroom as needed to support children’s behaviors
Providing USDA compliant meal service (preparing meals and snacks)
Safely transporting children to and from the program
Maintaining a clean and safe classroom
Lead the class during teacher meal/break periods
Interact with families and co-workers in a strengths-based and compassionate manner
Support MountainStar in following regulations and guidelines from Office of Child Care, Spark!, Preschool Promise and other applicable standards.
Support Relief Nursery program with transporting children, cleaning, or other activities on a limited basis (4 hours per week)
Support other MountainStar activities - at times outside of regular hours
Other duties as assigned

Benefits

100% employer paid medical, vision, prescription, & dental (premium value of $772 monthly)
Simple IRA Retirement Plan match up to 3%
vacation & sick pay accrued semi-monthly
11 paid holidays
Oregon Paid Leave covered in full (employee cost covered by MtStar)
Wellness Reimbursement Program
Short-Term Disability Plan
Wellness days
Team Appreciation days
Professional growth opportunities
Continuing Education
Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives
Engaging, purposeful, values-based work
Meaningful connections
Work/life balance
Focus on well-being & health
Positive, supportive work culture